Property management system protocol auto-detection

ABSTRACT

The present invention allows a messaging system such as a voice mail system to determine if it is connected to a property management system or some other device. If it is coupled to a property management system, the present invention allows the messaging system to determine which, if any, of several known protocols to use for communication all without the intervention of a user or administrator. In one embodiment, the invention includes determining whether a device is connected to a communications port of a messaging system, receiving a data packet at the communications port, determining a communications protocol for the received packet, and analyzing the received packet data structure. The invention further includes comparing the received packet data structure with a data structure for a known device, and if the data structure of the packet matches that for the known device determining the device coupled to the communications port to be a known device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of integrating a voice mailsystem into a property management system of the type typically used inthe hospitality or lodging industry. More particularly, the inventionrelates to automatically detecting a protocol of one from among a numberof different devices, including a property management system.

BACKGROUND

A property management system is typically used within the hospitalityindustry, among others, to keep track of guests, available rooms,billing, special services, reservations and a large number of otheraspects of the business. In, for example a hotel, the propertymanagement system might be used to track reservations, to check guestsinto and out of rooms, to track use of hotel services and to generate abill upon the end of the stay. Recently, property management systemshave been connected to telephone messaging systems, such as automatedattendants, unified messaging systems and voice mail systems. This canallow voice mail boxes, fax numbers, e-mail address, direct inward dial(DID) lines and other messaging services to be linked to individualrooms and guests automatically. For example, when a guest checks in, avoice mailbox resource can automatically be assigned to the appropriateroom, with a default greeting. If the guest is transferred from anotherroom, the voice mailbox can be transferred to the room as well. Personalguest profiles have been proposed which would allow a greeting andvarious preferences to automatically be assigned to a guest voicemailbox and to the messaging services when the guest checks in. Avariety of other services and features may also be provided.

A property management system and a voice mail system typicallycommunicate with each other through external wired interfaces, forexample a serial port based on the RS-232 standard (Recommended Standard232 promulgated by the Electrical Industries Association). Such aninterface can be operated using a variety of different communicationsparameters. In addition, current property management systems usedifferent incompatible communications protocols. As a result, amessaging system cannot communicate with any one particular propertymanagement system unless and until it is configured to operate using theappropriate parameters and protocols. The requirement for configurationadds to the expense of procurement, installation and maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a switch, a voice mail system and aproperty management system suitable for implementing the presentinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an auto-detection process according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A property management system (PMS) is normally used by hospitalityindustry management, administrators and front desk staff to manage roomsand other services that are provided to the guests. There are currentlya number of different PMS protocols that are used to synchronize theprocessing of the PMS with the messaging system to provide, e.g. thefront desk operator, with a simple, integrated way to manage telephoneand other communications resources together with room resources for theguests.

The present invention can exist as software modules that run with amessaging system and that can transparently interface to a number ofdifferent standard PMS protocols and protocols for other devices withoutrequiring explicit configuration of the messaging system. The interfacebetween the messaging system and the PMS is commonly an RS-232 serialport, however, the invention can be applied to other types ofconnections. The present invention can vary serial port communicationsparameter settings, scan the serial port data received by the messagingsystem from the PMS and automatically differentiate between variousdifferent PMS protocols as well as protocols from other devices. Thiseliminates the requirement for manual configuration. It also allows aserial port to be shared with several different devices.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional switch 111 such as a PBX (private branchexchange) or a KSU (key switching unit). The switch has an interface 113to connect to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) such as a T1connection to a CO (Central Office). The switch also has a set oftelephone ports 115 which connect to individual subscriber telephones117-1, 117-2, 117-3, 117-4 and 117-5 within a hospitality property 119.While only 5 individual telephones are shown in FIG. 1, there can be anynumber of telephones and any number of room or meeting resources. Thehospitality property can be any facility that uses a PMS or similar typeof flexible resource allocation system. Currently hotels and resorts arethe primary users. In addition, the switch can also connect to computermodem lines, Ethernet routers, video ports or any other type ofcommunications interface.

The telephone ports are connected to each telephone through a twistedpair wired telephone line 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4 and 121-5. However,a twisted pair connection is not required for the present invention, noris a wired system. The telephone ports 115 may also be wireless portswhich connect to mobile PCU's (Personal Communication Units) allocatedto various subscribers. Similarly, the connection 113 to the PSTN may bea connection to a cellular or a radio telephone system using directionalor omni-directional antennas. It may also be a connection through someother type of wide area network such as the Internet or a satellitecommunications system. The nature of the connection to the PSTN and thenature of the connection to each individual telephone is not importantto the present invention.

On the subscriber side of the switch, each individual telephone,computer modem, video conferencing center or other communications node117, can be assigned a particular internal extension number, aparticular room where the node is located, and a particular guest orgroup of guests that is authorized to use the resource. As mentionedabove, these numbers may correspond to a particular wire connected to atelephone port at one end and to a telephone wall jack at another end orthese internal numbers may be virtual extension numbers that are used toassign access to users in a less tangible way. So, for example, withmultiple users, each carrying PCU's, the channels assigned to each usermay be virtual channels which correspond to frequencies, timeslots orcodes that are dynamically allocated based on system usage. In thiscase, the internal extension number does not correspond to any fixedallocation of resources, but instead serves as an identification numberfor a particular communication unit. The details of internal extensionnumbers, external telephone numbers and users and tenants are all storedin tables maintained at the switch.

In addition, users of this system can be served by a messaging system,such as a voice mail system 125. While a voice mail system is shown anddescribed herein, an automated attendant system, answering system,unified messaging system or any other type of system that automaticallyanswers and handles calls or administers communications resources mayalso be used as an addition or an alternative. The same operations,connections and components apply equally to each. The voice mail system,or other messaging system answering system is coupled to the switchthrough a number of telephone lines 127 which connect to ports, such asvoice mail ports 126. The voice mail ports are typically carried on thevoice mail system 125.

FIG. 1 also shows a property management system (PMS) 123. The PMSoperates as described above to inventory and track resources of theuser. There are many different types of PMS available to the hospitalityor lodging industry offering different combinations of features andcapabilities. Typically, they include an external interface 137 thatoperates on one of a variety of different PMS protocols. The externalinterface will also be set up to operate using a particular set ofcommunications parameters, such as baud rate, parity, and start and stopbits. The voice mail system is coupled to this PMS interface through aconnector 128 shown in FIG. 1 as an RS-232 serial connector. Thisconnector is coupled to interface ports both in the PMS and in the voicemail system. At the voice mail system, a module of auto-detection anddrivers 129 is configured to access the serial connection.

While the present embodiment shows a special separate RS-232 connector,the particular protocol and methodology used for communications betweenthe PMS and the voice mail system depends on the built-in protocols andarchitecture of the PMS and the voice mail system and not on the presentinvention. Any number of other signaling or control channel data pathscan be used on either the PMS, system bus, or on peripheral cardsincluding Ethernet, IP (Internet Protocol), USB (Universal Serial Bus),or parallel connectors. In other scenarios, various kinds of infra-red,radio or wireless type communications can be used between the PMS andthe voice mail system. In a software environment, the signaling can bedone by any of a number of different types of calls, requests orsub-routines including API's (Application Programming Interface), RPCs(remote procedure calls), etc.

The hardware system for the switch and voice mail of FIG. 1 isconventional. In one configuration, the switch consists of an equipmentrack with a large number of separate cards. Some cards handle groups oftelephone ports as an interface to the wired internal extension network.Other cards carry telephone ports as an external interface to, forexample, a T1 line or a voice over IP network. Some cards carryswitching circuits between the various ports. Still further cards handlenetwork management and administration. Other cards can carry interfacesfor digital signaling such as RS-232, Ethernet etc. The cards aretypically coupled together through a backplane which can be built intothe equipment rack or the cards may use electrical or optical connectorscoupling together the cards and the system. In some configurations, eachtelephone line has an analog connection and a digital connection throughthe backplane. The digital connection includes administration and logdata, as well as identification information for each active telephoneconnection.

Similarly, the voice mail system can be constructed using a variety ofhardware or software configurations well known in the art. In oneconfiguration, the voice mail system is based on a conventionalmicrocomputer architecture using a single central processor, a harddrive memory storage for messages and configuration tables, and adaptercards coupled to a shared communications bus to receive telephone linesand constitute the voice mail ports shown in FIG. 1. Such amicrocomputer architecture allows for a large variety of differentcommunications interfaces including the RS-232 connector shown inFIG. 1. Higher bandwidth communications can be routed through token keynetwork connections or Ethernet connections, for example, as well asthrough a variety of other digital and analog communications protocols.

In another configuration, the voice mail system is constructed as aseparate card which plugs into the equipment rack occupied by theswitch. The voice mail card connects to the same backplane as the cardsof the switch. In this case, the voice mail ports can offer a connectionsimilar to that offered by the telephone ports and can be coupled to theswitching architecture using electrical or optical lines or directlythrough the backplane. In another configuration, the voice mail systemcan exist as independent software modules running directly on the switchcentral processing unit or some other part of the switch hardwarearchitecture.

The Property Management System is typically a part of a microcomputernetwork that connects with terminals at the front desk and in thebusiness offices of the property. The PMS can be constructed using avariety of hardware or software configurations well known in the art. Inone configuration, the PMS, like the voice mail system is based on aconventional microcomputer architecture using a single centralprocessor, a hard drive memory storage for messages and configurationtables, and adapter cards coupled to a shared communications bus tocommunicate with other computers in the system. Such a microcomputerarchitecture allows for a large variety of different communicationsinterfaces including the RS-232 connector shown in FIG. 1. Higherbandwidth communications can be routed through token key networkconnections or Ethernet connections, for example, as well as through avariety of other digital and analog communications protocols. The PMScan also exist as independent software modules running directly on thevoice mail system or some other part of the computer networkarchitecture.

The features of the present invention can be further understood withreference to the process illustrated in FIG. 2. The process begins atStart 11 and then goes to setting communications parameters 11. Theprocess may begin 11 on startup of the voice mail system, on a regularschedule, or after no data has been received over the port for aselected amount of time. The condition of not receiving any data cansuggest that the device coupled to the port has changed, that it hasbeen removed, or that the port is dead.

The particular parameters to set depend on the type of connection forwhich the auto-detection is to be performed. For an RS-232 connection,these communications parameters can include baud rate, parity type aseven or odd, the location of the start and stop bits, and the number ofbits in a word. With other connections, the set of communicationparameters may differ. Since there are a limited number of possibledevices that may be connected to the voice mail system, there is acorresponding limited number of possible communication parametersettings with which these devices communicate. In one embodiment, thevoice mail system, in the auto-detection module, has a ranked list ofpossible devices and the communications setting for each device. Theprocess can then begin with the most likely correct communicationssetting being tried first. Since a variety of baud rates may be used,the voice mail system may have to cycle through the various candidatespeeds and listen for a sufficient amount of time in order to determineif there is a remote system connected.

Once a set of communications parameters are selected, the voice mailsystem can send a packet 15 through the external connection port. If thevoice mail system has a ranked list of possible devices, then this listwill also include a startup packet, polling signal, synchronizationrequest or some other signal appropriate to send to the most likelydevice. The voice mail system then listens for a response 17. With mostconnected devices, the response will either be an expected response tothe sent packet or it will be an error or negative acknowledgmentsignal. However, if the packet is unintelligible to the connecteddevice, then there may be no response at all. If there is no response atall, then the communications parameters are reset 53 and another packetis sent 15 using the new parameters.

The new parameters can be selected from a list of parameters for thedevices that are likely to be coupled to the voice mail system. When nopacket is received, the voice mail system, through the auto-detectionmodule can then select the next most likely device to be coupled to theport. In some cases, the problem may not be the communicationsparameters but the content or structure of the sent packet. Accordingly,the parameters may not be changed if there is a different packet thatcan be tried using the same parameters. As can be seen in FIG. 2, thesystem can continue to try new communications parameters and new packetsuntil an intelligible packet is received over the port.

As an alternative to selecting parameters and sending packets, the voicemail system can instead sit quietly and listen for data transmitted toit over the port. The received data can then be analyzed using standarddigital signal processing techniques to determine the baud rate, parity,packet structure and the data. This processing can be done in adeterministic way or by comparing the packet to a set of likelypossibilities. The likely possibilities can be developed from a list ofpossible devices with which the voice mail system can communicate. Ifthe voice mail system does not transmit a packet of some kind throughthe port, it may happen that the device to be auto-detected also doesnot transmit. It is then not possible to determine whether a device isor is not connected to the port. Accordingly, a timer can be set up, sothat if no packet is received after some amount of time, for example 60seconds, then the voice mail system can transmit a packet of some kindto induce a response. The parameters and signal can be selected usingthe knowledge that the device is not one that sends data without arequest or synchronization signal.

Once a packet has been received 17, it can be analyzed 19. If the packetis received in response to a signal sent from the voice mail port, thenit can be parsed using the selected communications setting for the sentsignal. If the response cannot be understood using the samecommunications settings, then the packet can be rejected as most likelyan error or negative acknowledgment signal. The system can reset 53 andtry a different packet or different settings. If the packet is receivedwithout first sending a response, then it can be analyzed to determineits parameters. Using these parameters, the packet can be parsed and thedata extracted.

The extracted data can then be compared to possible expected responsesto determine the type of the sender of the packet. In one embodiment,the value of particular bytes are considered. In another embodiment, anumber of possible conditional tests are applied to determine the typeof device that sent the packet. The analysis of particular bytes issuggested in FIG. 2, in which it is determined whether the firstcharacter is a tilde 19, an asterisk 23 or a start-of-text character(STX) 27. In each case, the first character (position 0), i.e. the bytein position 0 of the data portion of the packet provides significantinformation as to the type of device that is connected to the port. Theparticular tests suggested in FIG. 1 at 19, 23 and 27 are appropriatefor one group of possible devices, however, there are many otherpossibilities depending upon the devices that are likely to be connectedto the port. In addition, the protocols for the devices may change overtime, so that, for example, the tilde is not used, but an ampersand is,or so that the most useful position to test is not position zero butanother position, for example, position 3.

In the present example, if the tilde is the first character (position 0)19, then the packet is structured in accordance with the standards andrequirements for a particular UI (user interface) device such as amanagement UI for system administration. The serial port is accordinglycoupled to this user interface device. The auto-detection module canthen declare that the device is the user interface 21, set the driversfor communication with the user interface and end the process 55. If thefirst character is not a tilde, then other tests can be applied. Ofcourse, the tilde is used as an example, different devices may useprotocols that require a different character in position 0.

Similarly, if the asterisk is the first character, then the device is aPMS that uses the EECO protocol (developed by EECO Computer Systems,Inc.). Since, in the present example, there is only one possible devicethat uses an asterisk in position 1, the auto-detection module candeclare that the device is an EECO PMS 25, make the appropriate settingsand end the inquiry 55.

In some applications, the process as described so far, can be sufficientto determine whether a device is connected to the port and, if so, whatthe device is. The present invention can run in at least two modes. Onemode is a full auto-detection mode. In this mode, the voice mail systemautomatically determines the difference between the UI manager protocoland all of the PMS protocols. In this mode, the voice mail can beinstalled and the PMS installed or modified or exchanged and noconfiguration is necessary. It is possible to temporarily disconnect thePMS, connect the UI, then return to any PMS. While only one PMS, EECO,has been detected in the process above, using the process as describedso far, the system can distinguish between the UI, EECO, and a defaultPMS. Distinguishing other PMS's is described in more detail below.

While the UI packet of the present example begins with a tilde character(“˜”), many of the PMS protocols currently in use start with an STXcontrol character, and the EECO protocol starts with an asterisk “*”character. Accordingly, it is possible to determine if the remote systemis the UI manager or a PMS system just from the first character. TheEECO PMS system is identified by a polling signal, as it is silent untilit is polled.

This mode can be referred to as partial auto-detection. Even ifdifferent PMS's are not distinguished, using only the steps describedabove, it is possible to determine whether it is the UI or PMS that isconnected. In this mode, some configuration can be made through the UI.This configuration can specify which PMS protocol is to be used as thedefault and set up its parameters. This specification can be changedwhen the PMS system is changed. The partial auto-detection eliminatesthe need for any special procedure to switch between UI and configuredPMS. Note that the last step of checking for an asterisk in position 0is not necessary in order to distinguish the UI from the PMS. Afterchecking for a tilde, the system can declare that the device is eitherthe UI or the PMS without also confirming by checking for the asterisk.Conversely, the asterisk or any other relevant character can be checkedinstead of the tilde.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the situation is greatly simplified if thevoicemail manager first configures the system to indicate the type ofPMS system that is to be connected to the communications port. Thepartial auto-detection mode is very useful in part because, in someapplications, the PMS type will rarely, if ever, change once it isconfigured and operating. With this configuration specified, the processcan be reduced to determining if it is the UI or the PMS that iscommunicating with the voice mail system through the port. As describedabove, this is rather simple, only requiring, for example, a check ofthe first character (position 0) of a packet. Baud rate determinationcan also be simplified, as most protocols specify a specific baud rate.Baud rate detection can be eliminated by also manually configuring thePMS serial port settings. Configuring the PMS type also allows theaccommodation of PMS's that do not send data without first receiving apolling signal, such as EECO. If EECO were the configured PMS protocol,the voicemail system can poll the PMS on occasion e.g. once per minute.If there were no response as specified in the protocol, the voicemailsystem can assume the PMS link is down and use the remainder of theminute to listen for a connection from the UI.

As mentioned above, the voice mail system can begin without sending astartup or synchronization packet, but by analyzing received data fromthe port. Since a variety of baud rates may be used by the protocols ofdifferent PMS systems, all the potential baud rates can be scanned untildata can be resolved. Then the data can be checked against the variousprotocols to see if there is a match. For the test of the character inposition 0 mentioned above, a simple way to obtain the appropriatepacket is to wait for a short period of silence that is followed bydata. The first character after the silence is then very likely to bethe start of a packet. If that character is a tilde, the remote systemis the UI. If that first character is an STX control character 27, theremote system is a PMS, as will be described in more detail below. Ineither case the rest of the packet can then be verified to determine ifit is valid for the selected protocol. In the case of a PMS system,various packet attributes can be verified in order to determine whichspecific PMS protocol is in use, as described below.

Scanning for data at several different baud rates can be time consuming,if the system lingers at each baud rate long enough to determine whetherthe received signals can be resolved. This lingering time can be chosento yield a sufficiently high probability of detecting data during thedwell, without causing the overall search cycle to become excessivelylong.

A one minute dwell time has been found to be sufficient without overlyhampering system operations. If, after one minute has passed, no datahas been received, then an attempt to poll the PMS can be made. Undersome protocols, for example EECO, data is sent only in response to apoll or request. If there is a response to the poll, the resultantpacket can be verified to determine if it is valid, for example, bylooking for an asterisk character. If some other system is connected,other than an EECO protocol PMS, then it is likely to give an errorresponse or no response to occasionally receiving an EECO poll from thevoice mail system.

Even with carefully constructed conditional logic, it can be difficult,due to the ambiguous structure of the different PMS packets todistinguish protocols that are similar. Many PMS packets send strings ofASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) charactersthat start with an STX character (e.g. ASCII 0x02) followed by a seriesof ASCII data characters, an ETX character (e.g. ASCII 0x03), andfinally an error detection byte. There are no delimiters within thepackets. Without knowing the fields, it can be difficult to determinethe meaning and expected structure of a packet, making it difficult todynamically determine the protocol that is in use. The automaticdetection logic can work more quickly by remembering the last used PMSprotocol. In many field installations, it is highly likely that if a PMSlink goes down, it will still be the same type of PMS when the linkcomes back up. Therefore, by giving priority to detecting either the UIprotocol, or the last used PMS protocol, the auto detection protocol canspend less time looking for other PMS protocols.

Referring to FIG. 2, these PMS protocols can be distinguished by firstfinding the STX (start) character in position 0 (first character). Ifthe character is there 27, then the packet is scanned for the ETX (end)character 31. If there is no STX, then the packet is not from a PMS, theparameters are reset 53 and another attempt is made 15. Similarly, ifthere is no ETX, then the parameters are reset 53 and another startuppacket is sent 15.

Having found both the STX 27 and the ETX 31, conditional logic tests canbe applied to determine which of the possible PMS's is connected to theport. In the example of FIG. 2, a simple flow chart with branchinstructions is used, however, the conditional logic can be rendered inany form depending on the preferences for the particular application.Similarly the particular conditions and branches are selected todistinguish between two possible common PMS protocols, Encore (developedby Encore Systems, Inc.) and HIS (developed by Hotel Information Systemsdivision of MAI Systems Corp. for use in its Paragon PMS). Some otherprotocols work similarly or almost identically. In addition, theconditional logic can be expanded or modified to distinguish betweenother or additional PMS protocols. The branch instructions describedbelow are intended only as an example.

To distinguish between Encore and HIS, the position of the ETX characteris analyzed 33, 37. If 33 the ETX character is in a position other than14, then it is likely that the PMS protocol is HIS. HIS is declared tobe the candidate PMS protocol 35 and this candidate is then testedfurther. Two tests are then applied 49. The character in position 1 isanalyzed to determine if it is within the range of “1”-“9” or “A”-“E”and whether the last byte of the packet is a valid LRC (longitudinalredundancy check) 49. The position 1 test is an analysis of the ASCIIcharacter for that position. The character must be either 0x31-0x39 or0x41-0x46. The LRC test can be done by calculating the LRC for thepacket and then comparing the result with the last byte of the packet.If both tests are positive, then the candidate of HIS is confirmed to becorrect 51 and the process ends 55. The voice mail system can then setitself for the HIS protocol and communications proceed accordingly.

If 37 the ETX character is in position 14, a different set of tests areapplied. If the ETX character is not in position 14 and, as alreadychecked 33, not in any other position then new parameters are selected53 and a new polling signal is sent 15. With the ETX character inposition 14, position 1 is checked 39 for a character in the range of“1” to “9”. If the character in position 1 falls within this range thenEncore is declared to the candidate PMS 41. With Encore as thecandidate, the last byte of the packet is analyzed. If it is a valid LRC49, then Encore is confirmed 51 as the device coupled to the port andthe process ends 55. The voice mail system can then set itself for, theEncore protocol and communications proceed accordingly. If the position1 character is not in this range, then the voice mail system looks atdefaults.

As mentioned above, the use of defaults can make the determinationprocess simpler. As an alternative to the sequence described above, thevoice mail system can apply the defaults first. If the defaults do notcheck out, then the tests of the ETX character and of position 1 can beused. The voice mail system can have a default that is set uponinstallation or configuration, for example through the UI manager. Itcan also use the last connected PMS device as the default.

Another indication of the PMS that can be employed is the communicationparameters that are being used for the communications port to theunknown device. PMS systems typically have a preferred set ofcommunication parameters even if some parameters such as baud rate maybe permissible within a range. The auto-detection module of the voicemail system can use the current communications parameters settings todetermine a PMS candidate. If the communication parameters correspond tothe Encore PMS protocol 45, then Encore can be declared to be thecandidate PMS protocol 41 and the candidate can be tested 49 as beforeby checking the position 1 character and the LRC byte. Similarly, if thecommunications parameters correspond to HIS 45, then HIS can bedetermined to be the candidate 35 and the candidate can be tested 49. Ineither event, if the candidate is confirmed 51, the process can end 55with the voice mail system being configured as appropriate.

In the description above, for purposes of explanation, numerous specificdetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled inthe art that the present invention may be practiced without some ofthese specific details. In other instances, well-known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form.

The present invention includes various steps. The steps of the presentinvention may be performed by hardware components, such as those shownin FIG. 1, or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, whichmay be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor orlogic circuits programmed with the instructions to perform the steps.Alternatively, the steps may be performed by a combination of hardwareand software.

The present invention may be provided as a computer program productwhich may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereoninstructions which may be used to program a computer (or otherelectronic devices) to perform a process according to the presentinvention. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limitedto, floppy diskettes, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks,ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnet or optical cards, flash memory, orother type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storingelectronic instructions. Moreover, the present invention may also bedownloaded as a computer program product, wherein the program may betransferred from a remote computer to a requesting computer by way ofdata signals embodied in a carrier wave or other propagation medium viaa communication link (e.g., a modem or network connection).

Importantly, while the present invention has been described in thecontext of a voice mail system working with a property managementsystem, it can be applied to a wide variety of shared voice mail orgeneric messaging systems in which identification information can beexchanged. Such systems include voice over IP, data switched and routerbased systems. The telephone calls may include voice, video, music,broadcast and data calls. The PMS can operate for hotels, hospitals,apartments, common carriers and public transportation vehicles and caninclude myriad functions beyond voice mail and telephone optionsmanagement. The present invention can be applied to fixed telephoneterminals as well as to low and high mobility voice and data terminals.Many of the methods are described in their most basic form but steps canbe added to or deleted from any of the methods and information can beadded or subtracted from any of the described messages without departingfrom the basic scope of the present invention. It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that many further modifications and adaptationscan be made. The particular embodiments are not provided to limit theinvention but to illustrate it. The scope of the present invention isnot to be determined by the specific examples provided above but only bythe claims below.

1. An apparatus comprising: a communications port of a messaging systemfor sending and receiving packets between the messaging system and aconnected property management device; means for determining acommunications parameter set for a packet received from a propertymanagement device connected to the communications port; means foranalyzing the received packet data structure; means for comparing thereceived packet data structure with a data structure for a known type ofdevice; and means for determining if the device coupled to thecommunications port is a known property management device by determiningif the data structure of the packet matches that for the known type ofproperty management device.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein themeans for determining whether a property management device is connectedcomprises means for checking for data received at the communicationsport.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for determiningwhether a property management device is connected comprises means forsending a signal through the communications port and means for checkingfor a response.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means fordetermining a communications parameter set comprises means for applyinga variety of baud rate and parity setting to the packet and selecting abaud rate and parity combination that is consistent with the packet. 5.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for comparing comprises aseries of conditional branch instructions for determining a matchingknown type of property management device.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the messaging system is a voice mail system.
 7. A messagingsystem comprising: a communications port for sending and receivingpackets between the messaging system and a connected property managementdevice; a memory to store a set of data structures of known types ofproperty management devices; and a processor coupled to the port and thememory to analyze the data structure of a packet received at thecommunications port from a device connected to the communications port,to compare the received packet data structure with the stored known datastructures, and to determine that the property management device coupledto the communications port is a known type of property management deviceif the data structure of the received packet matches the data structurefor the known type of property management device.
 8. The system of claim7, wherein the memory further stores communications parameter sets andwherein the processor applies a variety of baud rate and parity settingto the packet to select a baud rate and parity combination that isconsistent with the packet.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein theprocessor compares the value of a byte and the selected baud rate andparity combination to stored combinations of values for known types ofproperty management devices.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein theprocessor executes a series of conditional branch instructions fordetermining a matching known types of property management device.